Final answer:
Research based on U.S. Census Bureau data and other sources shows changing patterns in marriage, with a decline in the percentage of people who marry and an increase in those who delay or avoid it, indicating that no single answer choice accurately represents current marital patterns.
Step-by-step explanation:
Determining the percentage of people who marry at some point in their lives is a complex sociological question that varies by country and over time. Research based on data from sources like the National Center for Health Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau reveals changing marriage patterns. The earlier assumption that about 50% of marriages end in divorce is misleading because it compares unrelated statistics. The New York Times research shows that U.S. divorce rates have not exceeded 41%. Additionally, societal trends have shown a significant number of younger adults opting to delay or avoid marriage. The percentage of never-married individuals has increased in urban areas, and households headed by married couples decreased from 66% in 1960 to 45% in 2010.
With changing perceptions of marriage and the rise of single parenting and cohabitation, some people consider marriage to be becoming obsolete. However, without current and precise statistics, it's not possible to provide a definitive answer. Therefore, none of the options (a. 25%, b. 50%, c. 75%, d. 100%) accurately reflect the complex reality of marital patterns.